Chromakopia: The Return of Tyler

Tyler, The Creator has been a polarising character for years, with colourful interviews and an apparent “screw you if you don’t like me” attitude reflecting this. Fans were on edge in the build-up to the release of his newest album Chromakopia, with his last released album CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST falling short of expectations in the eyes of many fans after the success of IGOR (2019), and Flower Boy (2017). However, with over 85 million streams on its first day of release, earning a space in the top 20 for most successful hip-hop album first-day releases ever, perhaps Chromokopia is his best work to date.

Image by Jake Williams, The Communicator.

With its church-choir backing and Tyler’s rugged, anti-social vocals, Chromakopia has kept all the elements that made fans fall in love with him in the first place. Songs on the album such as Judge Judy and Rah Tah Tah remind fans of why they fell in love with him, using his cheeky, perhaps PG lyrics to show his inner thoughts on top of heavy, catchy beats. Other songs, such as Like Him and Tomorrow, contain a far more personal, familial tone, exploring topics close to Tyler’s heart. Each song has its own story. Its own meaning. And together they form an intricate yet strikingly beautiful creation that sums up Tyler's status as one of the all-time greats.

 What sets this album out from the rest, however, is the context in which it was written and released, and the emotion in which it was curated. Tyler has made his relationship with his Father public knowledge, with him only recently realising that he tried to be part of Tyler’s life since he was young. However, his mother stood in the way of any relationship between the pair, convincing Tyler that his father was instead absent. With this information, this album becomes a whole new experience, as reading between the lines the pain in Tyler’s experiences rings throughout listeners.

2024 was a gigantic year for the hip-hop genre, and Tyler seems to have propelled himself back into the conversation with what could be one of the best album releases of the year. But does this album cement Tyler’s place amongst the all-time greats? Many will certainly think so, as in an era of hip-hop seemingly devoid of the diverse talent seen in the 90s and 00s, Tyler’s lyricism, sense of rhythm and emotional connection with fans sticks out like a sore (but beautiful) thumb in today’s scene, with Chromakopia the culmination of this. Decent album.

Listen here.